How to Turn Auto Bracketing On and Off on Your Rebel t5i

To make bracketing easy, your Rebel t5i offers automatic exposure bracketing (AEB). When you enable this feature, your only job is to press the shutter button to record the shots; the camera automatically adjusts the exposure settings between each image. The following steps show you how to turn on automatic exposure bracketing via Shooting Menu 2.

Display Shooting Menu 2 and choose Expo. Comp./AEB.

This is the same dual-natured screen that appears when you apply exposure compensation.

In M mode, exposure compensation isn’t relevant — if you want a darker or brighter image, you just adjust the f-stop, shutter speed, or ISO. So the Exposure Compensation controls are dimmed on the AEB/Exp. Comp screen if the Mode dial is set to M.

Rotate the Main dial to establish the amount of exposure change you want between images.

What you see onscreen after you rotate the dial depends on your exposure mode.

P, Tv, or Av modes: For these modes, both the Exposure Compensation and AEB features are enabled. And the meter expands to represent the total 7-stop adjustment you can make in bracketed shots if you also enable the maximum amount of Exposure Compensation. (The meter expands after you rotate the Main dial; otherwise it just shows the 5-stop range for Exposure Compensation.)

Where does the 7-stop thing come from? Well, you’re still limited to adjusting exposure a total of two stops between bracketed shots, but if you turn on Exposure Compensation and set that value to +5.0 and then set the bracketed amount to +2.0, your brightest shot in the bracketed series is captured at +7.0. Your darkest shot is captured at +3.0, and the “neutral” shot is captured at +5.0.

M mode: The screen changes to now have only the AEB setting active. When using AEB in Manual mode, the camera will change the shutter speed and leave the aperture alone if it can.

Either way, each whole number on the meter represents one stop of exposure shift. The little red lines under the meter show you the amount of shift that will occur in your bracketed series of shots.

Keep rotating the dial until you get the exposure indicators to reflect the amount of adjustment you want between each bracketed shot. If you want to adjust the Exposure Compensation setting, press the right/left cross keys or tap the plus/minus signs at the end of the meter.

Tap Set or press the Set button.

AEB is now enabled. The exposure meter in the Shooting Settings display and on Shooting Menu 2 shows the three exposure indicators to represent the exposure shift you established in Step 2. When you snap your three pictures, the first image is captured at the actual exposure settings; the second, at settings that produce a darker image; and the third, at settings that produce a brighter photo.

If you prefer, you can also enable AEB through the Quick Control screen. Just tap the exposure meter (or highlight it and press Set) to access the screens where you can set the amount of bracketing.

To turn off auto exposure bracketing, just revisit Shooting Menu 2 or the Quick Control screen and use the Main dial to change the AEB setting back to 0, so that you see only one meter indicator instead of three.

AEB is also turned off when you power down the camera, enable the flash, replace the camera battery, or replace the memory card. You also can’t use the feature in manual exposure (M) mode if you set the shutter speed to the Bulb option. (At that setting, the camera keeps the shutter open as long as you press the shutter button.)

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